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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 120 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  7. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  8. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  9. Did you ________________ the button?
  10. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  11. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  15. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. game — wild animals
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. branch — of a bank
  7. ruler — a monarch
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. press — to push
  10. wave — with your hand
  11. safe — out of danger
  12. branch — a division
  13. press — a publisher
  14. season — of the year
  15. game — a kind of play
  16. season — in sport
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. branch — of a tree
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. bore — to drill
  21. bore — to tire
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. press — newspapers

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com